Saliva is an important and easily accessible bio-fluid having many diagnostic and prognostic applications. It serves as a window through which not only oral health but the overall systemic health status is determinable. Salivary biomarkers reveal a lot regarding disease risk, progress and resolution. Much research has been done in the past few decades on the diagnostic importance of biomarkers present in saliva. Minor bacterial infections to malignancies can manifest through saliva. Easy collection of saliva with a point-of-care facility facilitates both patients and clinicians in providing and collection of samples, respectively. This review highlights some of the essential diagnostic applications of saliva. Further researches can reveal more diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Studies have reported the successful applications of saliva in cardiovascular disease detection, renal diseases monitoring, drug level monitoring, forensic examinations, premalignant and malignant disorders detection and oral pathologies. Psychological stress, physically active individuals and incremental effort test have also been monitored by the help of salivary diagnostics.

Aims:The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two mouth washes namely Chlorhexidine 0.2% and 5% green tea mouth rinse when used as pre-procedural rinses in reducing the number of CFU in aerosol generated during ultrasonic scaling. Methodology: 70 subjects were recruited in this study (43 males, 27 females: age range 18-65 years with presence of minimum 20 permanent functional teeth, less than 5 mm mean probing depth and plaque and gingival score between 1-3. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups, group 1 and group 2. Each group comprised of 35 patients. A split mouth design technique was used for collecting the aerosol samples on blood agar Anjum et al.; JAMMR, 31 (7): 1-9, 2019; Article no.JAMMR.53094 2 plates. For every patient, there was a control side and test side of mouth. Ultrasonic scaling was done on control side without pre procedural rinsing and vice versa. Group 1 used 0.2% Chlorhexidine while group 2 rinsed with 5% green tea mouthwash. The blood agar plates were then transported to Microbiology lab and incubated for counting the colony forming units (CFU). Results: Significant reduction of CFU occurred with pre procedural rinsing with both mouthwashes as compared to non-rinsing before ultrasonic scaling and 0.2% Chlorhexidine found to be superior to 5% green tea in reducing bacterial load in aerosol samples Conclusion: Pre procedural mouth rinsing with effective mouthwashes significantly reduces aerosol contamination and should be used before all dental procedures that results in formation of aerosols and splatters along with some other infection control protocol to minimize the risks of cross infection in clinical settings. Original Research Article

Many hazards are often associated with different occupations and known as occupational hazards. Dentistry is also one of those professions having many occupational risks. Such hazards are broadly categorized into chemical, biological, physical, mechanical and psychological factors. Cross infection is one of such hazards faced by the health care providers’ particularly dental workers. Cross infection is the transmission of infectious agents between patient and staff in clinical environment. Control of cross infection has remained the major concern of the dental community for decades. Various vectors are involved in cross infections in Dentistry including patients, environment (water, air), instruments etc. Particularly among the environmental factors, airborne route is one of the major routes of cross contamination and so aerosols produced in dental environment carry greatest pathogenic potential. Production of aerosols and splatters occur because of many procedures carried out in mouth including crown preparation, ultrasonic scaling, caries excavation etc. Patients, dental instruments and dental unit waterlines (DUWL) are the important sources of contaminated aerosol production in dental operatory. Use of personal Protective equipments, regular use of pre-procedural mouth rinses and high evacuation devices are few of the suggested methods to reduce risk of cross contamination especially through aerosols and splatters in the dental offices. The related articles were searched through PubMed and Google Scholar.

Aims: To compare the efficacy of two mouth rinses (0.2% Chlorhexidine and 5% green tea mouth rinse) in reducing the bacterial load (CFUs) in aerosol samples collected during ultrasonic dental scaling and to do the qualitative analysis of bacterial isolates. Study Design: Quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Periodontics (Ziauddin college of Dentistry), Ziauddin University, Karachi, between January 2019 to August 2019. Methodology: This study comprised of seventy patients (43 males and 27 females) within the age group of 20 to 65 years having gingival and plaque score between 1 and 3 and mean probing depth less than 5 mm. All study subjects were divided into 2 equal groups (group 1 and group 2). A split mouth design was used for ultrasonic scaling (oral prophylaxis). Control side was scaled without pre rinsing while the test side was scaled after pre procedural mouth rinsing. Group 1 study subjects were instructed to rinse with 10 ml 0.2% Chlorhexidine mouth rinse for one minute and Group 2 rinsed with 10 ml 5% green tea mouth rinse for a minute. Fresh blood agar plates were used for air sampling, which were then transported to Microbiology laboratory (JPMC) for aerobic culturing and microbiological examination. Results: Greater percentage of Gram positive bacteria were found in aerosol samples generated during ultrasonic scaling. Gram positive cocci (Staph epidermidis and Micrococci species) were in abundance and very few gram negative bacteria were detected. Conclusion: Dental health care providers and patients can easily acquire infections because of contaminated aerosols and splatters and so all infection control measures should be taken to minimize these risks. Pre procedural mouth rinsing with effective mouthwashes should be done before dental procedures as it is easiest and much economical way of reducing cross infection.

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